The Petaluma (Hero Stories)/Part 5
When the Smurfs returned to the village, they noticed a group consisting of Brainy, Clumsy, Handy, and Hefty standing outside Nikolai's Bar. Brainy spotted the returning Smurfs approaching. "Greats Smurfs! What in the name of smurf happened?" he asked. "Just that stupid flower trying to smurf both Wonder and Smurfette," Snappy said. "She smurfed them both into the mud and refused to help them," Sassette added. "At least we smurfed the right thing in following them and rescuing them in time," Papa Smurf said. "I always knew that flower was no good," Handy said. "After all the love and care both the Smurfettes smurfed to her, and this is she repays them." "It's just part of her nature, I'm afraid, my little Smurfs," Papa Smurf said. "There isn't much we can smurf now. She's back to where she belongs, and we must try and smurf on with our lives here in the village." "Yes, Papa Smurf," all the Smurfs said in unison, but for both Wonder and Smurfette, it was an experience they were never going to forget. "I'm going to smurf on home for a shower," Wonder said. "I'll smurf you guys later." "Bye," the other Smurfs said as she left. Hefty didn't say a word when a devious smirk appeared on his face as he tip-toed away from the group. Handy turned round and noticed Hefty had disappeared. "Wait! Where's Hefty?" he asked the others. "Eh, gosh, I don't know, Handy," Clumsy said. "He was here just a second ago." "Maybe he's off smurfing on another one of his exercises," Brainy suggested. "I know what he's up to," Sassette said with an angry look on her face. "Come on, Smurflings! We've got to stop him." When Wonder got home, she noticed Hero coming down the stairs after putting Saviour to bed for her afternoon nap. Hero saw her covered in the thick mud. "Great Smurfs! What happened?" Hero asked, surprised at what he was seeing. "Petaluma smurfed this to me, Hero," Wonder said, with a tear in her eye. "When I tried to save Smurfette from smurfing in a mud puddle, she smurfed me into it head first." "My smurfness! And yet, she didn't seem like she would be capable of smurfing something like this," Hero said. "But she smurfed it anyway," Wonder said. "Anyway, I'm smurfing for a shower to remove all this mud." "Okay," Hero said. "Just beware that Hefty might try and smurf a sneak peek at you." "Don't you worry about Hefty," Wonder said. "I know just what to smurf." Eventually, Wonder had stripped down and was now in the shower. She sang the La La song as she cleaned herself. Hefty meanwhile was being careful as to not be seen by any Smurf, as he held a small wooden box in his hands in order to gain extra leverage. He could see steam coming from the house's shower room window, which was open slightly, and he could hear Wonder happily singing away. As soon as the coast was clear, he made a quick dash for the house before looking around again to make sure the coast was still clear, before placing the box on the ground and standing on top of it. He slowly began to peer through the window, but could only see so little. He decided to go the extra mile and open the window fully, and as soon as he grabbed the wooden covers, the Smurflings showed up and caught him red handed. "HEFTY SMURF!" Sassette shouted, catching him by surprise. Hefty began to lose his balance on the wooden box before Wonder opened the window, with one of the wooden covers smacking Hefty in the face, thus dazing him. "I knew he would try smurfing something like this," Wonder said, looking down at him. The male Smurflings began to blush and turn their heads with embarrassment. "What's up with them?" Wonder asked Sassette. "Eh, you're naked," Sassette said, also turning her head away with embarrassment. "At least you can only smurf my head and shoulders; it's not like you Smurflings can smurf what you're not supposed to smurf at," Wonder said. "Anyway, I'm going to dry myself and smurf on a new set of clothes, so we'll talk later." "Okay," Sassette said as Wonder closed the window. "What are we going to smurf about Hefty?" Nat asked. "He's still dazed." "I guess we'll need to smurf him home?" Slouchy asked. "It's his own fault in the first place," Sassette said. "If he wasn't such a pervert then this wouldn't happen to him. Hopefully he'll learn from this." When the Smurflings tried to lift Hefty, they found him a little too heavy. "What are we going to smurf now?" Slouchy asked. "We've got little choices to smurf," Snappy said. "We've got to drag him." The Smurflings shared a giggle before they grabbed Hefty's arms and began to drag him off to his house. Wonder walked out of the shower room, swaddled in a towel with another one curled on her head to keep her hair in place. She noticed Hero was sleeping in the rocking chair. "I'm just going to smurf upstairs to dry and smurf new clothes on," Wonder said softly. Hero let out a big yawn. "Okay, did Hefty smurf a sneak peek at you?" "He tried to," Wonder said. "But luckily I smurfed him in the face with one of the window covers." Hero chuckled. "That will teach him." Later, Wonder was fully dressed and was with Saviour, Smurfette, and Papa Smurf in his lab. The Smurfettes were still feeling rather down about what happened with Petaluma. "Cheer up, my little Smurfettes," Papa Smurf said as comfortably as possible. "How can we, Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked. "We smurfed Petaluma all our love and this is how she repays us." "As I've said twice before, Smurfette, it's just part of her nature, I'm afraid," Papa Smurf said. "There isn't anything we can smurf now. She's back where she belongs and we must continue to smurf our lives in peace." "Yes, Papa Smurf," the Smurfettes said. ... Over the course of the following months, the seasons changed, but both Wonder and Smurfette checked up on Petaluma at every chance they got. They observed her from a careful distance and noticed she was safe upon every observation. But during one Winter day, there was a winter breeze blowing all around. Petaluma was the most affected by the winter cold; she was overcome with frostbite and had lost a lot of her petals. "Oh, what a winter; my stem is freezing," Petaluma said, shivering with the cold. She looked up into a tree and noticed two squirrels looked warm and snug. "Look at how warm those two look in their home. I could've had a home with both Wonder and Smurfette if I had been nicer to them. Oh, how I've been a fool. Girls! Please come back! Girls!" In the Smurf Village, Papa Smurf had warned the Smurfs that Mother Nature was planning an even stronger winter wind, and told them to barricade their homes. Wonder was with both Smurfette and Handy, while her daughter Saviour was wrapped up in winter wear to keep her warm. Smurfette began to hear a familiar voice pleading for help. "Girls!" the voice said, as it was carried by the wind. "Handy! Did you just hear something?" Smurfette asked. "In this windstorm? You must be smurfing!" Handy said. "Better get inside before you blow away." "I heard it too, Smurfette," Wonder added before they could hear the voice again. "Girls!" the voice pleaded again. Wonder gasped. "It is Petaluma!" she said. "She needs help, I just know it!" Smurfette said. "Let's go!" Wonder said before she and Smurfette left the village. "Crashin' Condors! What a storm! Mother Nature's really whipped up a whopper," Sassette said, as she and the other Smurflings watched the wind from inside their tree stump home. "Then why are Wonder and Smurfette leaving the village?" Nat asked, pointing to both Wonder and Smurfette. "Yeah! Pappy Smurf told every Smurf to stay inside," Sassette said. "We'd better follow! Let's go!" Snappy said as they ran off to follow them into the forest. "Better bar that door, my little Smurflings," Papa Smurf said, passing by the stump. But there was no response, so he ran inside and noticed they had disappeared. "Great Smurfness! They're gone." Out in the forest, both Wonder and Smurfette arrived at Petaluma's location. "Girls! I always knew you would come," Petaluma said, sounding really grateful. "My smurfness!" Wonder said in disbelief. "Petaluma! You look awful," Smurfette added. "I hate this place! It's freezing cold, and damp and the wind," Petaluma said before shivering with the cold. "But you made us plant you here!" Smurfette said sternly. "And you almost killed us!" Wonder added, sounding angry. "I know I behaved dreadfully," Petaluma said, sounding regretful. "But I'm sorry... you guys got to believe me." "Bad flower! Bad flower!" Saviour said. "Ah! Little Saviour! You look so beautiful, just like your mother," Petaluma said. "Please, you guys, can you dig me up and take me home?" Wonder and Smurfette looked at each other, and eventually agreed to Petaluma's request. At that same moment, the Smurflings had caught up to them and held on to the root of a tree. "Hoverin' Hummingbirds! What's that?" Sassette asked. "It's a whirlwind!" Nat called out, as the wind immediately grew stronger, catching both Smurfettes by surprise. The strong wind blew Wonder away as far back as the Smurflings, as Smurfette held on to Petaluma. Wonder held on to Saviour for dear life as the wind grew stronger and stronger. "Run! Smurfette! Run!" Sassette called out, as a lone whirlwind grabbed hold of Smurfette. "Help me!" Smurfette called out, as the whirlwind carried her away. "I will, Smurfette," Petaluma said, as she grabbed Smurfette's leg and pulled with all her remaining strength. "Now run as fast as you can." "We've got you, Smurfette," Sassette called out, before Wonder used her free arm to catch her as she passed. At that moment, Papa Smurf appeared beside them. "And I've got you, my little Smurflings. Hang onto the tree," he told them. "NO, PETALUMA!" Smurfette screamed. "WONDER! SMURF SOMETHING!" "The wind's too strong, Smurfette," Wonder responded. "Flying will be useless." They could only watch on in horror as the whirlwind fully engulfed Petaluma and ripped her roots clean out of the ground, leaving behind only two seeds. "Goodbye, my friends!" Petaluma said her final words, as the whirlwind carried her away, and as if by sheer chance, the wind died down. "Our beautiful flower," Smurfette said, tears running down her face while kneeling down over where Petaluma was once planted. "We loved her, Papa Smurf." "Agreed," Wonder added, tears also running down her face. "And she grew to love you, my little Smurfettes," Papa Smurf said comfortingly. "I never thought I'd say this, but she saved your lives," Snappy said. "Yes, my little Smurfettes," Papa Smurf said. "Thanks to the goodness of both of you, Petaluma finally grew to care about someone besides herself." "It's just not fair!" Wonder cried. "I can't believe we'll never see her again," Smurfette said, sadly. Papa Smurf looked down at where Petaluma was once planted and noticed that she had left two seeds behind. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," Papa Smurf said, smiling. "Smurfaroo! They're seeds!" Nat said, also smiling. "Seeds?" Wonder asked "Yes, my little Wonder," Papa Smurf said. "Petaluma's left behind her final gift to both you and Smurfette." "What is it, Papa Smurf?" Smurfette asked, wiping away the tears. "She's left behind two offspring seeds," Papa Smurf said. "That way the both of you will always have that one thing that will always remind you of her." Smurfette bravely pulled a smile as Papa Smurf put the seeds into her hand. "I swear to smurf all my love and care to your babies, Petaluma," she said. "And that's a promise from my heart." "And I promise to smurf my love and care to your babies as well," Wonder added. Papa Smurf could only smile before they made their way back to the village. ... Over the course of the following months, both Wonder and Smurfette looked after both of the seeds that Petaluma left behind. They watched them grow into beautiful little saplings, who were eventually given the names of Petalinda and Petalana. One beautiful Spring afternoon, Smurfette was out tending to them. "Oh, it's so beautiful here in your garden, Smurfette," Petalinda said. "And so sunny," Petalana added before Clumsy arrived. "Hi, Uncle Clumsy." "Hi, little ones," Clumsy said as Smurfette applied the finishing touches. "Gosh, Smurfette, they're right friendly." At that moment, Papa Smurf appeared holding a watering can. "That's because Smurfette and Wonder are raising them right: lots of water, lots of sun, and lots of love," Papa Smurf said, handing the watering can to Smurfette. "They're so easy to love," Smurfette said, pouring the water over the little saplings. "They look just like their mother." "Oh, yes, Smurfette," Petalinda asked. "Tell us about our mother." "Well, um... she was a smurfy mixture of beauty and goodness that's hard to describe," Smurfette answered. "I can agree with you, Smurfette," Wonder added as she and Hero joined them, holding Saviour in her arms. "Auntie Wonder! Uncle Hero!" Petalinda and Petalana said with glee. "Hello, my little darlings," Wonder said, with a smile. "How are you this lovely day?" "We're fine, Auntie Wonder," Petalana said. "Auntie Smurfette's just gave us a drink of water," Petalinda added. "That was nice of her," Wonder said, smiling. "Baby flowers! Baby flowers!" Saviour said. "You want to meet your new friends, Saviour?" Wonder asked. "Okay." She placed her daughter down next to them and she went to say hello. "Hello, Saviour," Petalinda and Petalana said in unison. Saviour smiled before giggling with childish glee as she held their tiny petals in her tiny hand. "Isn't that cute?" Smurfette asked Wonder. "Our babies are getting along so well." "It really is cute, Smurfette," Wonder said, smiling. "I agree that it really is cute," Hero added. At that moment, Brainy joined them. "Not for me! I can tell you sprouts a thing or two about your mom," he said. "BRAINY!" the other Smurfs said in unison. Wonder stepped close to him. "If you as much as emotionally scar my little darlings, Brainy Smurf, then my hand will meet your cheek," she said, sternly. So Brainy did the right thing, he gave the little saplings several sniffs. "She smells just as smurfy as you both do," he told them, making them smile. The other Smurfs were relieved that he had done the right thing. At that point, Saviour began to cry. "What's wrong?" Petalinda asked. "Is she sick?" Petalana asked. "No, my little darlings, she's just hungry," Wonder said. "Me and Hero will smurf on home and smurf her something to eat before her afternoon nap." "That's good to hear," Petalinda said, sounding very relieved. "We better get going, Hero," Wonder said, picking up their crying baby. "Otherwise the little one will become very cranky." "Indeed, let's smurf on home," Hero said. "We'll smurf you guys later, okay?" Wonder said to the others. "Okay, bye bye," the other Smurfs called as Hero and Wonder made their way home. ... Hero's Journal: April 5 (afternoon) ' ''"Well, what a year it's been for us, especially for both Wonder and Smurfette. It all started almost a year ago when both of them found a rare talking flower in the forest, named Petaluma. They brought her back to the village and tended to her every need. I did manage to smurf her at some point, but she made the little one cry so I didn't smurf the chance to introduce myself. Eventually, she had grown so big that she had to be returned to the forest, but this happened after she had forced Smurfette out of her own home, when she temporarily stayed with us. Papa Smurf and Brainy tried to prune her, but she was against the idea altogether. Once she was returned to the forest, she almost killed both of the Smurfettes by refusing to help them out of a mud puddle. But she did make amends with them during the winter, but before she was sadly taken from us. But thankfully she left a final gift for both Wonder and Smurfette, in the form of two offspring seeds. I watched them grow up and become nice and kind little saplings, and I will continue to do so until they're all grown up." '''The End Category:Hero the Guardian Smurf stories Category:A Heroic Smurf's articles Category:The Petaluma Chapters